The Only Direction
by melanosaurus143
Summary: The tragedy of having a terrifying ex, and the comfort of someone else, someone unexpected, to distract those horrifying images. One Direction fanfic! :)
1. Chapter 1

My heart is racing, and so am I. Except it's not a race. I'm racing around trying to find the nearest door or hideaway.

My mind is all over the place: regretting the last ten minutes, feeling guilty for leaving Jane standing in line by herself. I try not to think about that and remember why I'm running. _He's only a couple yards behind me._ I thought. My sneakers pound heavily on the concrete as I am trying to escape what I know is to come.

I can tell I'm in a place I shouldn't be because it's the back of the building that is holding the boys. The reason my sister is in line.

"Joey, it was nothing! Leave me alone!" I scream to the monster galloping behind me. No answer. He's nowhere close. I pause for a second to catch my breath, until I hear faded trots getting louder. I break off into a sprint again and notice a door to the building that is cracked open and I go with my gut instinct. _Shouldn't there be a guard here or something?_ I slowly open the door and peek inside. Just a hallway.

"_Elizabeth!?_"

I jump inside and shut the door, enclosing myself in the mysteriously empty corridor. I start jogging down the oneway room. Turning down another hallway, I see lights coming from several doors at the end of the hall. I start walking, trying not to draw attention to myself, until I almost run into a blonde boy turning from an intersecting hallway. I look behind him as some movement catches my eye, and see the guard that should have been standing by that door. He is on the floor trying to separate two other boys.

"Hi!" Exclaims the blonde, "I'm Niall!"

I panic, thinking I would get in trouble, and run further down the hall, darting into the last room on the left. I turn around and shut the door, kneel down and rest my forehead on the door. I hear feet running in the same manner as the ones I'm running from, and my heart skips a beat when I distantly hear the familiar, "Hi! I'm Niall!" _No. He's here._

"Hello Beautiful." A voice behind me makes me spin around and I let out a little scream that is quickly muffled by my own hand.

There, standing in front of me, is a boy, about my age, who must have just gotten out of the shower, because he has absolutely no clothes on. Only his hand is between my innocent eyes and his man zone. But his hair isn't wet; wait, why is he naked?! "Oh my-,"

THUD!

The door I am now sitting in front of, trembles, making me jump to my feet.

"Wot's that?" The curly haired boy asks as he grabs a towel to wrap himself in. He walks over to the door and I back up slowly.

"No! Please don't op-," but it is too late.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?!" His brown eyes looking blacker than ever, bulging and red, looking from me, to curly-cue, to his towel. He starts toward me with rage in his eyes, and luscious locks trying to stop him. More running footsteps from the hall, only a lot more this time. I sit on the floor in a corner facing the wall, huddle in a ball leaning my right side against the wall, protect my head with my arms, and wait for what's to come.

Then in comes.

Sudden force in my left side and gut ripping pain. The ones that follow are unevenly timed apart, as if he is being held back. My head is dizzy, ears are ringing, and I can feel my temperature rising. The final blow is to my head, knocking me unconscious, freeing me from feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

I slowly gain my consciousness back, somewhat hoping I didn't. At least not for a while. There is nothing but blackness. I blink my eyes a couple times to no prevail. _Have I gone _blind_?!_

"Not again," I say aloud.

Luckily I find a little speck of light to assure me that I still have my vision. _But where _am_ I?_

I manage to push myself up from what seems like a couch that I have been laying on. Sharp pains spread throughout my body and I try to fight off my cries. Only a little moan escapes my throat. My head is throbbing from that last strike and my side, I can tell, is majorly bruised. I start walking slowly toward the source of light when I trip over a lump of something on the ground.

"Umph..." As I feel around trying to figure what I tripped over, I feel a set of lips with stubble around the chin. _Oh God. It's Joey._

The lump jumps upright making me scream. I feel his hand on my shoulder. _Oh no, he's holding me down._ I begin hitting him as hard as I possible could on his chest.

"Hey! It's okay! It's okay!" Blood is rushing through my body and I cannot hear a single word that is being said. The only thing I know, is that his arms are trying to stop me from hitting him. I make a fist and raise it high above my head. I prepare myself to punch Joey in the same spot as he did to knock me out, when the lights in the room flick on.

The person I am sitting on is not Joey.

Suddenly shocked by a face I am not expecting, I push away so that I am a good five feet from him. I push myself a little too far back, though, accidentally bumping into another boy. I gasp and put my face in my hands breathing deeply, thinking it will make everything disappear.

"Wot. The. Hell." I look towards the source of words and, sure enough, naked towel boy is staring at me, now fully clothed, by the light switch.

I feel eyes burning into me as I take in my surroundings. Four boys are lying on the floor awkwardly around the front of a sofa, which I assume is where I was. A messy sleeping spot is empty where towel boy would have been.

As my adrenaline decreases I realize just how much pain I am actually in. I sling my head back and hold my left side. I let out a pathetic whimper and the boy I was just harassing is already up from the floor and by my side.

"You alright?" He says, looking at me with his sparkling blue eyes. I seem to be in a bit of a shock; I can't look away.

I come back to reality and say, "It really hurts when I move like this." I twist my body a little, cringing.

"Alright, alright, well, easy on it. You don't want it any more bruised."

_Wait.._ "Bruised? How do you know how badly it's bruised?"

I must be looking at all of them accusingly, because he sits back and looks at me cautiously.

"Sweetheart, we did call the police, you know? The medics came, and- you do realize how badly you were hurt, right?"

I look around to see all five of their eyes on me. I feel my face grow hot as colour fills it. _Just how naked did they see me?_

There's a strange feeling about this situation, but I can't put my finger on it. _Maybe it's where I am._ "So, why am I still here?" _No, that's not it. Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by strangers? No, that's not it either._

They all exchange glances with each other.

"What?" I nudge on.

"Well," I turn around to see the curly haired boy talking. "The medics wanted to take you, but the police didn't feel very comfortable with you.. Out there."

I scrunch up my face in confusion.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't they want me out there?"

This time it's a new voice I hear speak up.

"The police haven't caught that guy that was afta' you. So the medics did everything they would 'ave at the hospital."

"You 'ave some stitches right here," the boy next to me softly glides his thumb across the middle of my cheek, right below the cheekbone where the skin is patched together.

Once again, I gaze helplessly in his eyes, but this time it's him who breaks the connection I must have imagined.

He sits back and asks, "So.. The question we all want to know. What the bloody hell happened?"

I sit back and let out a sigh, that strange feeling still in the pit of my stomach.

"Well, I was standing in line with my sister so she could get to see you guys and get autographs and pictures, and-" the strange feeling becomes clear- "Oh my god."

They all perk up, curious of what's wrong.

"Where's my sister?!"


	3. Chapter 3

They all relax a little.

"Don't worry," Niall says with his Irish accent, "she's sleeping in the room down the hall, with some bodyguards outside. She's pretty cheeky, that one!"

I exhale, and my heart seems to flutter. I realize I was holding my breath.

"You're looking a little pale." the boy next to me says with worry in his tone.

"I'm sorry. I'm just kind of confused. Sorry, what are your names?"

"Oh, right," starts curly-headed boy, "I'm Harry." He gives me a brilliant smile exposing his deep, boy-like dimples.

"I'm Zayn." The one with the black hair and big, beautiful eyes. He smiles shyly and looks away, blushing.

"Hi! I'm-,"

"Niall," I finish for him, "Yes, I remember you."

He gives me an open-mouthed smile and holds two thumbs up. They all laugh.

"Liam," says a boy with dirty blonde hair while raising his hand. _Very polite._ I smile to myself.

Only one left.

"I'm Louis." His voice seems so close to me and gives me goosebumps. He gives me a very teethy smile and blushes.

"Right. I will most definitely get them mixed up." A give a little hearty laugh. "Maybe I should go check on Jane to see if she's okay." I get up to my feet and inhale a 'sshh' sound caused from the excruciatingly painful bruises on my ribcage.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," says Liam. "You're in a lot of pain. The medics said that you should rest up. Plus, your sister is still sleeping, and she needs some time to calm down."

Harry is helping me to the sofa now.

"She sort of freaked out when an officer came to get her," he continues while Harry sits across from me.

I sit so my back is on the armrest, and I can rest my weight on the back of the sofa. I glimpse over to Harry and accidentally gaze into his eyes. I feel like I'm in a hypnotic state and I can't look away, but then I think of Joey on the loose and look down at my knees that are pulled close to my chest. Harry leans forward and takes ahold of my hand, rubbing it slightly. I freeze and feel slightly awkward.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You know, afta' we catch that maniac, and, well, you heal." He gives me what seems to be an attempt at a smile.

"Speaking of," begins Liam, "what was the rest of that story?"

I give my head a little shake to clear my head.

"Right. So. Wait.. Where was I?"

"You and your sista' were in line.." Louis says from behind the couch on my side. I didn't realize he moved there and I flinch.

"Oh yeah. So,-"

"Sorry! Hold that thought!" Niall says jumping up and running out of the room. His footsteps fade as they trail off down the hall.

"Sorry about that." Harry tries to explain. "Right when he wakes up, he _has_ to fix something to eat. If not, he'll feel nauseous and grumpy all throughout the day. I'm surprised he lasted this long!" He laughs to himself.

The footsteps appear quietly and then gradually get louder as he approaches. Niall comes in with two plates of breakfast foods and a bagel in his mouth. He hands me one of the plates and takes the bagel out with his free hand.

"Here you are! You must be starved!"

"Thank you! Wow, this is a lot of food. Haha." I look around at the other four boys and find them gaping at Niall. "What's the matter?" I ask them.

"It's just that, I don't think I've _ever_ seen Niall give someone else food!" responds Zayn. "Oi! What abou' us, mate?" Zayn laughs aloud followed by more laughs from the boys. I feel myself blush.

"_Anyway._ Before I forget where I was.. _Again._" I smile over at Niall, but the corners of my mouth slowly turn downwards, "So, my sister and I were in line when she pulls out the poster she brought for all of you to sign. Jane simply asks me which one I thought was the cutest. I didn't think twice about my boyfriend-ex-boyfriend-being right there when I pointed to...," they're intensely listening, "I pointed to the one who I thought was the cutest, and Joey went ballistic. Right after I pointed, I heard his voice behind me saying, 'Excuse me?' He grabbed my arm," I'm tearing up now, "and I told Jane to stay in line. H-he pulled me aw-way to where n-no one could s-see us. I-it was behind some l-little building." Louis puts his arm around my shoulder, "Sshh. It's okay. We just want to help. He's no where near here anymore. It's okay." The warmth of his touch is enough to stop me from stuttering. "He kept shoving me against a wall, demanding an answer to why I would cheat on him. I was so confused! _Cheat_ on him? I tried to explain what happened and he kept asking why I would think someone else was attractive. He was grabbing me really hard."

***_"Do you think I'm not as attractive as that poster boy?" Joey asks me. "What are you even talking about?" I'm scared now. I didn't raise my voice any louder, though, because he would lose it completely if I did. "Come on, baby. Don't you love it when I kiss you?" He forces his lips onto mine. "Stop it!" I say under his sweaty lips whilst trying to push him away. "Do not tell me what to do!" He screams at me. He makes a grab for my breast, squeezing it too hard. "Ow! Joey, _STOP_!" I still attempt to push myself free, but there is no getting out of his embrace. "Come on! What's the matter, you little _whore_!" That makes me pause, as does he. I reach my hand back and slap him hard across his face.***_

"I wound up hitting him,"

***_I gasp at what I've done and there is a new anger on his face. Even though he was angrier, he was still processing if I really did that. I managed to free myself from his grasp, and escape.***_

"and got away from him,"

***_I don't want him near Jane like this so I run the other way, still out of view from the rest of the crowd. I run, and run, and run, and-***_

"but I knew he wasn't finished so I found my way to this building and to this room."

I inhaled deeply as I finish because I didn't take any breathers. I just wanted to get this explanation over with.

Harry leans forward again and wipes tears from my eyes. "Aww. Please don't cry. I don't like when people cry, because now I feel like _I'm_ going to cry." His bottom lip trembles. I don't know if he was serious or not, but he makes me smile a little and give half a giggle.

"Sorry."

He smiles widely. "No, I'm joking. It's okay. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong!" He sits back now.

"I'm just sorry that I had to run in here, to your building. I'm sorry that you guys got involved with all of this."

I fumble with my fingers and lean over on the couch. As I move, I realize there's still a warm spot on my right shoulder and notice Louis' hand is still there, trying to comfort me. He gently rubs my arm soothingly and takes it away.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, but were you guys able to sign my sister's poster? I'd feel horrible if she never got it. She's a big, uhmm, Directionist?"

"Directioner," Harry corrects me, smiling adorably, "and of course we signed it! Our guard found it clutched in her hand when she was asleep. She still hasn't woken up, and, honestly, we haven't gotten to see her yet."

"Yeah," Niall chimes in, "she passed out in that room afta' 'bout an hour. I feel really bad abou' it, but the medics said it would be best."

"They tended to her," Liam spoke up, "trying to calm her down, telling her everything would be fine."

"And, well," Zayn says, "she's in for quite a surprise, I s'pose. Haha."

And right he was.

A knock on the door came and Niall gets up to answer it. A guard pokes his head in asking if it was okay that she come in, and he says it's fine. The door opens the rest of the way and there she is, mouth wide open, lost for words. She strange sound escapes her throat. Sort of like a mix of a gasp and a scream.

"NO. WAY."


End file.
